The Kaduna Environmental Protection Authority (KEPA) has evacuated 560 tonnes of medical waste.
The Director, Monitoring and Enforcement Compliance of KEPA, Usman Lawal, disclosed this on Wednesday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
Lawal said the agency, in conjunction with the Kaduna State Primary Health Care Development Board (KSPHCDB), also treated and destroyed expired drugs at its dumpsites.
He explained that, “The poor management of medical waste potentially exposes healthcare workers, waste handlers, patients and the community to infectious diseases.
“It is essential that all medical waste materials are segregated at the point of generation, appropriately treated and disposed safely.
“Only the state general hospitals, National Psychiatric Medical Centre, 44 Army Referral Hospital, NNPC Medical Centre and St Gerald’s Hospital have incinerators.
He further said KEPA engaged the services of some private medical waste disposal companies to ensure evacuation of medical waste from hospitals across the state.
“We are going to ensure that private companies engaged are properly monitored to move the refuse to KEPA dumpsites and various incinerators located in the state,’’ he added.
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